12/5/2012 |
Maddon pleased with acquisition of EscobarJoe Maddon left the Winter Meetings for Tampa following Wednesday's Managers Luncheon at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Before departing, Tampa Bay's skipper expressed his delight about the Rays' latest acquisition, Yunel Escobar.

12/5/2012 |
Look to the AL West to spice up Hot Stove talksAt some point soon -- by the end of the winter, by the end of the week or maybe even by time you're done reading this article -- something big is bound to go down in the American League West.

12/5/2012 |
Berkman on radar, but Astros' focus is Rule 5 DraftWith the Astros having added a starting pitcher late Tuesday in the trade that brought Alex White over from the Rockies in exchange for reliever Wilton Lopez, it appears the club will leave the Winter Meetings without any other significant news outside of the Rule 5 Draft.

12/5/2012 |
Ryan open to signing Greinke long termNolan Ryan is usually uneasy talking about giving pitchers long-term contracts, but he seems comfortable if that's what it takes to sign free agent Zack Greinke.

12/5/2012 |
Daniels waiting for the dominoes to fallJon Daniels is pondering ways to improve his club, and much depends on Josh Hamilton. That situation has not shut down the Rangers, but it has limited them.

12/5/2012 |
Lefty reliever market shrinks for BrewersA pair of potential Brewers targets dropped off the market on Day 3 of the Winter Meetings on Wednesday, when left-handed relievers Randy Choate and Sean Burnett chose new homes and further shrunk the Brewers' options to fill that need.

12/5/2012 |
Castro may pick up offensive slack for CubsShortstop Starlin Castro is expected to further climb the ladder to stardom next season, and his production will be even more important if the Cubs are left trying to fill a gap at third base.

12/5/2012 |
Mets mull over idea of Dickey returning without dealFor the second time in three weeks Wednesday, Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said he would gladly accept a scenario that GM Sandy Alderson called "not preferable": playing out next season with R.A. Dickey on an expiring contract.

12/5/2012 |
Must 'C'? Wright in line to earn Mets' captain titleDavid Wright is already the longest-tenured active Met, with eight more guaranteed years to come. It is only natural, then, that the Mets would consider honoring him with their first captainship in nearly a decade.

12/5/2012 |
Fowler a trade target, but Rockies' price highThe Winter Meetings have thrust center fielder Dexter Fowler's name into the forefront of trade speculation, but multiple sources said Wednesday the Rockies are making it clear that that the price for such a player is high.

12/5/2012 |
Counsell: Not 'right time' to leave MilwaukeeBrewers special assistant Craig Counsell cited family considerations for last week's decision to withdraw his name from consideration for the hitting coach position in Boston. The Red Sox subsequently hired Greg Colbrunn.

12/5/2012 |
Pair of deals may have Angels out on GreinkeThe Angels made some serious progress with their pitching staff on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings, signing reliever Sean Burnett to a two-year deal and closing in on free-agent starter Joe Blanton.

12/5/2012 |
Yankees eye Reynolds, Youk as market tightensYankees general manager Brian Cashman has continued to search for a third baseman at the Winter Meetings, most recently turning their interest to free-agent slugger Mark Reynolds.

12/5/2012 |
In difficult time, 'Chief' Bender an honor for LukevicsAs Mitch Lukevics prepares to receive the prestigious Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award on Thursday night on the final day of the Winter Meetings, it's not unusual to see him receive some hugs and shed a few tears during a trying period of his life.

12/5/2012 |
Fredi's 2014 option exercised by BravesThe Braves announced on Wednesday that they have exercised Fredi Gonzalez's contract option for the 2014 season. This provides the 48-year-old manager a vote of confidence and a chance to prepare for this upcoming season with a little more certainty about his future.